Slot machine



Feb. 24, 1925. 1,527,351

- J. H. EGAN SLOT MACHINE Filed Jan. 5, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. H. EGAN SLOT MACHINE Filed Jan;

Feb. 24, 1925.

, 1924- 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 WI 'uwu uwu.

Patented Feb. 24, 1925.

QFFICE;

SLOT MACHINE. 1

Arpltc t qmfi e Jenu a 1924r' e atNo- 6 456 To? alliwhom it mayaconccwn:

Be; it known that; I, gJimins 1H, iEclxn, a citizen; ot the United A States, residing a-t' Ventnor City, in, the v county of Atlantic-and. State oi: ew- Jersey, have inyentedcertain new 1 and i useful Improvements in; Slot iMachines ofwhich the following is a specifica-s tion. v

This invention relates to zcoin controlled 1 machines; of theltypeparticularly adapted-i and l intended for ,vend-ing; ,yvhat;1 are known i asfchecks, in exchange {ton cashand-used: for example; at soda ktountains here the purchaser -1nay deposit 1 a coin .ot a certain Value in the machine and, :reeeive in return a a :check; WhdChqCthlh bedelivei ed to! the soda. clerk exchange fon the go ods, i

The present machine isuin isome; espectsn improvementoniithe; m chine shown in 1ny,U; ;S,, Patent No, 1365 416 9; ==dated Jan-w nary 11th-,;192 1;

The present.iimprcvements -,relate especia l lyto a "means f r-r losi gi h l c ini ch when theasupply otchecks, is exhausted and also 011 closing; said ,chutenvhen the pileof coins inzitllfi machine; reachcfs such a point; theta-the operation of the machine caught be interfered with shouldmdditicnah coin b deposited; ,Thatiis; to; say ,,Wlien ;the 11121:; chine becomes; as it mightbe; termed, full of; coins,1=fulthere deposits; will. be" prevented-f The Word full does not mean thatqthe -wholecasing :mu st become 1 full but 1 only that the pilci of coins reach suclmapoijnt; 'as-mbove statechsthatit might interfere with the: es-.

capementndevices.

A further object of the inventionis to: ilITI-i prove thekcasingct such slot machines-and the means for. :TIIOIll'ltillgtllB same upon a base, and for: connecting! the various, parts so thatwthe casing. cannot be iremoi ed or opened by unauthcnized persons. This teaturewincludesa rotatable mounting, for the machinelsowthat.it'can be presented atian y-p angle desired/i Various- 01311617- obiectsi will; ppear. zf cmi thefollowing description and the? accompanying drawings.

In; the drawings: Fig; 1 is, a TI'OllLB-lGYEI-r tion rofqthemachinez Figz 2 :is a section partlybroken-away. ;Fig. 3 js-a sectional: l)l&11-VlGW-'OZE thebottoincplate-ot themecl1iney thenparts above the same beingQremoved. Figi l isa detailin sectionot the upper-part otthe casing onthe line 4-;4 ,otFig.16;illustratingthe-means forzwlocking the ceasing to the; machine. proper enclosed within the same, Fig. 5 is a side elevation, theicaslvng being in section, illustrating the Fig. 6 is device for closing the coin chute. a side elevat on otithecmachine: with the casinm n' section as yiewedafrom the front. 1

Fig. 1s a partial-side elevation of the same as yiewedfrom ,the-E rear with the casing in a SQQETQHJ Fig.8 is a detail in section onithe line-8+8 of Fig; 5. ,Fig.:9 is a detail in top 3 vlewrolf the slct mechanismwith a part otthe asing -in section.

The casing of thennachine includesa top 1 6 andts dc alls? fittingupona metalwbasei plate Skvhich vlatter supports theoperative partsotthe machine to be-hereinafter de scribed; The base ,plateu8 ismounted on a p vot 9 projecting troma plate 10- which may'.beetastenedgto a counter: 11 by screws 12- on the like,; whereby the casing ,ornthe machine as a JTVT IOIQLC n berrotated 0n-rthe, post: 99' ;and thereby turned to. any desired position,- Thecmachineqis retainedv on the pivot against: unauthorized aremoval there from by neansof a sliding latch 13 consisting of azplatewwitha'notch in the end adaptedwto engage; a neck 1 14 under a a head 15. on the pin- 9.y The latch-is-slidahle in a guidenlfi, and-when door 17 in the rear Wall 0 tthe'cas ng: is opened-this latch can be shdin! on out tori engage or disengagethe pin.

The; 610(1111317, is [provided with an ordinary lock; VlTh-enthe, latch isrelea-sed thc wh le machine can be lifted off the pin 9.

To loclmthe casing tothe;interion structure ott t h'c;\ ma c hine,,-I provide a sliding latch-bolt v18, mounted-in guides 1-191 and :20, fastenedbetween plates 21. iwhichcaretat-yl tached ito thebasejplatefi by means of legs: 221and feet 23, This latch; 18 is also acces-- sibl'e when the\doorn17is opened and may be pushed into engage in a holeiinl abracket:

Qhfastened to theknndei" sidectthetop '6 otg the casing. By; tl 1esenneans =jthe Whole outercsasing is normallyglocked to the inner part-s cf-the 1machifne,.cbut theta-sing can be unlgcl ed and, lifted; 0ft 17 andpu-ll engagenit from; the depending: bracket 2 L; he IHtBIlOI'I'HIQClWJIlSHI 1s y opening the door. nthelboltil8; outward-1y,- to; dis- The machine as disclosed includes three units for delivering checks or tokens of different values, say one a 50, check, another a 10 check, and another a check, appropriate slots being made in the front of the casing, as indicated at 25, to receive corresponding coins, the checks however being delivered onto a tray 26 thru holes 27 in the front wall of the casing.

Except with respect to the value and size of the checks and coins, the units are all alike, and a description of one will answer for all.

The checks will consist of round pieces of metal, and they are fitted into the machine according to their respective denominations thru a slot at 30 at the under side of the upper end of a chute 31, the slot 30 being located at the rear of the machine under an extension 32 on the back of the casing which extension is open on the under side so that the checks can be pressed up until they slip past a spring 33 in the chute, and above the slot, and will thence roll down the chute into the recesses in a star wheel 34 from which they are delivered one by one thru the opening 27 to the delivery tray 26. he escapement for the star wheel comprises a lever 35 pivoted at 36 and having an offset finger 37 which projects thru an opening 38 in the side plate 39 of the mechanism, the lever 35 having anv offset finger upon which a coin will drop to trip the lever when the coin falls from the coin chute 41, the lever being weighted as indicated at 42 to restore the same after each tripping operation. The upper end of the coin chute 41 registers with a slot 44 in the front of the casing, and when acoin is inserted it will roll down the chute and drop from the lower end 45 of the chute onto the finger 40 of the escapement lever 35 as above described.

The device for closing the mouth of the coin chute will now be described: A sheet metal member is pivotally mounted on a bracket fastened to the side of the chute 31, one of the pivots being indicated at 51 and the other at 52. This sheet metal member includes an arm 53 which projects forwardly and upwardly. and has at its end an offset finger 54 which may swing inwardly or laterally across the mouth of the chute 41. The member also has a depend ing arm 55 with a paddle-shaped enlargement 56 at its lower end which forms a weight tending to hold the member in vertical position, in which position the finger 54 is located out of alinement or withdrawn from in front of the mouth of the chute 41. But this action may be prevented by a bent lever 60 which is fulcrumed at 61 and which presses sidewise or outwardly against a finger 63 projecting from the arm 55 of the sheet metal member referred to. This lever 60 projects into a cut out portion 64 of the chute 31, directly above the star wheel 34, in such position that the lever 60 rests or rides upon one of the checks C at that time resting in the chute above the star Wheel, and under such conditions the lever 60 is lifted to such an extent that its finger 62 is retracted from the finger 63 and the sheet metal member then hangs in such position that the finger 54 is out of line with the entrance to the chute 41, and accordingly coins can be deposited and the escapement operated. But if the supply of checks rolling down the chute 31 becomes exhausted, the lever 60 will drop and its weight is sufficient to swing its arm 62 against the arm 63 and swing the arm 55 and weight 56 laterally and outwardly, swinging the sheet metal member on its pivots 51 and 52 and thereby causing the finger 54 to swing across the coin chute and prevent the deposit of any coin therein. And this condition continues until by depositing additional checks the lever 60 is swung up, permitting the sheet metal member to swing to vertical position and thereby opening the entrance to the coin chute, as above described, the tendency of the sheet metal member being to swing to position to open the coin chute eX- cept when prevented by the action and greater weight of the lever 60.

Furthermore, as the coins drop from the chute 41, to operate the escapement as above described, they collect in a pile on the base plate 8. As this pile rises it will in time reach the elevation of the paddle shaped member 56 and finally the coins will press against the inner side of said paddle, referring to Fig. 5, and as the pile accumulates the coins lodging against this paddle will then swing the same outwardly or toward the observer in Fig. 5, thereby swinging the sheet metal member on its pivots 51 and 52 across the mouth of the coin chute. This, therefore, stops the further deposit of coins in the chute, and the pile of coins must be removed from the lower part of the machine, permitting the sheet metal member to resume its vertical position with an unobstructed coin chute.

It will therefore be seen that a device is provided which may be operated either when the supply of checks becomes exhausted, or when the deposit of coins becomes efcessive, to close the coin chute and prevent further operation until either con dition is remedied.

A register operating mechanism may be associated with the mechanism illustrated, such for example, as that shown in my U. S. Patent No. 1,459,879, dated June 26th, 1923, but as this is not essential to the present invention a description and illustration thereof have been omitted.

It will be understood that the sheet metal 130 member for closing the coin chute, as above referred to, is very delicately balanced, so that it will operate under slight pressure to close the chute, but when the pressure is released it will swing easily to vertical position with the coin chute unobstructed.

The invention is not limited to the par ticular construction shown, but is capable of various modifications within the scope of the following claims.

As stated, several units may be assembled in the same machine, according to different denominations, and in this case mechanisms may be arranged rights and lefts, to stand beside each other, but this involves merely the reversal of the structures of the different parts.

I claim:

1. The combination with a coin chute, a chamber into which it delivers, and an article delivery mechanism controlled by coins deposited in the chute, of a device to prevent the deposit of coins in the chute,

haustion of the articles to be delivered and the other by an excessive accumulation of coins in said chamber to operate said device.

2. The combination stated in claim 1, said means including a paddle shaped lever the lower end of which hangs into said chamber and the upper end of which has a projection adapted to be swung across the coin chute, and another lever bearing against said paddle shaped lever and having a portion located in the path of articles in the article delivery mechanism and adapted to be moved to inoperative position by said articles and to move to operative position and swing the paddle shaped lever in the absence of such articles.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J. F. H. HOPEWELL, J. MORRIS PARKER. 

